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Newfoundland and Labrador
PROVINCIAL CONTEXT
Number of children 0-12 years (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children
0 4,300
1 4,400
2 5,100
3 4,600
4 4,500
5 5,100
6 5,100
7 5,500
8 4,900
9 5,500
10 5,700
11 5,000
12 5,600
Total 65,300
Number of children 0-12 years, aggregated (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children
0-2 13,800
3-5 14,200
6-12 37,300
Total 65,300
Children 0-14 years identifying with an Aboriginal group (2006) Age North American Métis Inuit Multiple Other Total
Indian
0-4 505 425 325 15 175 1,445
5-9 595 505 380 35 295 1,805
10-14 775 545 405 45 380 2,145
Total 1,875 1,475 1,110 95 850 5,395
Children 0-14 yrs with disabilities (2006) Age Number of children Rate of children
with disabilities with disabilities (%)
0-4 440 1.9
5-9 1,040 4.0
10-14 1,530 5.2
Total 3,010 3.9
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Newfoundland and Labrador 1
Number of children 0-12 years with mothers in the paid labour force (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children 0 2,200 1 2,500 2 3,000 3 3,100 4 2,400 5 2,900 6 2,800 7 3,500 8 3,200 9 3,300 10 3,600 11 3,200 12 3,800 Total 39,400
Number of children 0-12 years with mothers in the paid labour force, aggregated (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children 0-2 7,700 3-5 8,400 6-12 23,400 Total 39,400
Number of children by marital status of families (2006) Age Children in Children in lone (with lone (with lone
couple families parent families mothers) fathers) 0-4 17,900 4,770 4,265 500 5-9 20,405 5,510 4,935 580 10-14 22,840 6,285 5,385 900 Total 61,140 16,565 14,585 1,980
Number of children by mother tongue (2006) Age English French Non-official language 0-4 22,285 45 415 5-9 25,335 50 385 10-14 28,785 55 450 Total 76,405 150 1,250
Number and percentage of children living in families below the LICO (2006) Age Number Percent (%) Total 10,000 16.7
Note: Sufficient data for age breakdowns not available.
Workforce participation of mothers by age of youngest child (2007 rounded estimate) Age of youngest child Number of mothers Participation rate (%) 0-2 8,100 65.9 3-5 6,600 74.2 6-15 23,100 79.7
Newfoundland and Labrador Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 2
FAMILY-RELATED LEAVE
Maternity leave
Seventeen weeks.
Parental leave
Thirty-five weeks available to both parents.
Adoption leave
Seventeen weeks of adoption leave to which can be added
35 weeks of parental leave.
Births and EI maternity and parental claims (2007)
Number of births: 4,386
Birth rate per 1,000 population: 8.6
Number of initial maternity claims allowed: 2,610
Average length of maternity claim: 14.6 weeks
Number of parental claims: 2,810
Average length of parental claim: 29.5 weeks
Number of adoptive parent claims: 30
Average length of adoptive claim: 35.0 weeks
Note: Maternity, parental and adoption leaves are deter
mined by provincial and territorial legislation. The federal
government pays for up to 15 weeks for maternity leave and
35 weeks for parental and adoptive leave for eligible parents
at 55% of earned income to a maximum of $447/week
(2009). See FEDERAL ECEC PROGRAMS for more information.
KINDERGARTEN
LEGISLATION
Newfoundland and Labrador. House of Assembly. Schools
Act. 1997. (Amended 1999, 2000, 2001). S.N.L 1997 c. S-12.2.
The legislation applies to both public and private schools.
PROVINCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR KINDERGARTEN
Michelle Coady
Program Development Specialist, Primary
Division of Program Development
Department of Education
P.O. Box 8700
St John’s, Newfoundland A1B 4J6
Telephone: (709) 729-1840
Facsimile:(709) 729-6619
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.gov.nl.ca/edu/
KINDERGARTEN SERVICES
KINDERGARTEN
Kindergarten is delivered in public and private schools
(there are seven private schools). There are 475 instruc
tional hours a year (i.e., one half of the regular instruc
tional time of 950 hours for grades 1-Level III).
Kindergarten is not compulsory in Newfoundland and
Labrador. Access is legislated; the right of access man
dates kindergarten in every school.
Hours of attendance: an average of 2.5 hours of instruc
tional time per day. Many schools have children rotate
between morning and afternoon attendance on a bi
weekly or monthly basis.
AGE ELIGIBILITY
Five years old before December 31.
CLASS SIZE
There is a provincial class size limit of 20.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
There is an expectation that all children will be included
in the regular kindergarten classroom. Students identi
fied with special needs are supported in regular class
rooms, as needed, by special education teachers and stu
dent assistants who provide support for personal care
and behaviour management. An Individual Education
Plan outlines the supports and services that the child
requires within the educational setting. In addition, stu
dents who access direct services from two or more agen
cies and/or government departments have an Individual
Support Services Plan (ISSP). This plan, which is a com
ponent of the Model of Coordination of Services to
Children and Youth, ensures that the child’s needs, as
identified by an ISSP team, are met within all settings.
The number of Kindergarten children with special needs
in 2007/08: 320.
ENROLMENT (2007/08)
Number of children enrolled in kindergarten (the year
before Grade 1): 4,751.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Newfoundland and Labrador 3
mailto:[email protected]
KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS
Qualification requirements: B.Ed. or a B.A. plus one year
of post-degree study in education.
Responsibility for certification: Registrar of Teachers,
Department of Education, Government of Newfoundland
and Labrador.
Representation: The Newfoundland and Labrador
Teachers’ Association.
Salary (2007/08): Entry-level salary for all teachers
(including kindergarten teachers) with certificate 5 (a
Bachelor’s degree in primary /elementary education) is
$42,118 with a Master’s degree and 10 years experience
$72,265.
In 2007/08 there were approximately 188.5 full-time
equivalent kindergarten teachers and a total of 368 class
es with kindergarten.
CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS
Title: Student Assistant.
Qualifications: Minimum of a high school graduation
diploma.
Role: Student assistants help children with specials needs
with personal care and behaviour management under the
direction of a teacher.
Salary scale per hour - effective April 1, 2006: Step 1
$13.53; Step 2 - $14.04; Step 3 - $14.52.
CURRICULUM
There is a provincial curriculum guide, Early Beginnings;
it is specific to Newfoundland and Labrador and is just
for kindergarten. The focus is on a holistic approach with
an emphasis on hands-on experiences. There are defined
outcomes for all academic and developmental areas. New
curriculum guides have recently been developed for
mathematics, religion, art, and social studies and they are
in separate guides. These subject-specific guides have
replaced their content areas in Early Beginnings. Early
Beginnings is currently under revision to incorporate all
content areas within one document.
MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
At the school level, monitoring is done by principals
and/or district office specialists visiting classrooms to
evaluate teachers and their program delivery. New pro
grams are monitored through a pilot teaching process
and are later followed up by program specialists.
Monitoring is also done through school development
plans. At the Department of Education, the Evaluation
and Research Division compiles annual statistics about
kindergarten enrolment, kindergarten teachers and
trends that affect enrolment and program delivery.
SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR KINDERGARTEN
Kindergarten is entirely funded by the province from
general revenues.
PUBLIC SPENDING ON KINDERGARTEN (2007/08)
Average spending per kindergarten student The provincial government allocates funds to each school
district to the amount of $10,610 per full-time equivalent
K-12 student. Each district then sets its spending priori
ties and disburses funds to individual schools.
Total spending for kindergarten
This information is not available for Newfoundland and
Labrador since spending per student is not specific to
grade levels.
Newfoundland and Labrador Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 4
SPECIAL FEATURES
Under provincial policy, English as Second Language
teachers are provided by the provincial government to
school districts which may deploy them at their discretion.
In 2007, the provincial Excellence in Mathematics Strategy
provided 25 numeracy support teachers to support best
practices in the teaching of mathematics in districts
throughout the province.
KinderStart is a program for children and their par
ents/caregivers, which is provided the year prior to
kindergarten entry. It is an orientation to kindergarten
offered at the discretion of school districts and consists of
a maximum of eight one-hour orientation sessions. A
KinderStart program guide has been provided to schools
throughout the province along with activity resources for
kindergarten classrooms. During the first KinderStart
session, children and their parents/caregivers are provid
ed with an activity resource bag and suggestions for
home activities. Approximately 5,000 children participat
ed in KinderStart in 2007/08.
DEVELOPMENTS IN KINDERGARTEN
2002
September KinderStart, a kindergarten orientation program for children and families/caregivers was introduced.
2005
January The Division of Early Childhood Learning was created to focus on the learning needs of preschool chil
dren, and to develop and implement programs that will
support young children and families before school entry.
Early Childhood Learning Program Grants and the
KinderStart Program are managed under this division.
2006
September The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador increased the instructional grants to schools so
that parents no longer have to pay the traditional school
fees (which covered the costs of materials and resources
to supplement the curriculum/program). School admin
istrators may choose to implement voluntary fundraising
activities for a specific purpose with the prior approval of
the local school council. There is no public funding for
private schools.
REGULATED CHILD CARE SERVICES
LEGISLATION
Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. Child
Care Services Act. - SNL 1998, chapter c-11.1, amended
1999 c22 s6, 2001 c36.
Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. Child
Care Services Regulation 37/99, revised March 2007.
PROVINCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILD CARE
Helen Sinclair
Provincial Director, Child Care Services
Child, Youth and Family Services Division
Department of Health and Community Services
Confederation Building, West Block
P.O. Box 8700
St. John’s, Newfoundland A1B 4J6
Telephone: (709) 729-4055
Facsimile: (709) 729-6382
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.gov.nl.ca/health/divisions/pgmpolicy/
CHILD CARE SERVICES
UNREGULATED CHILD CARE
Unregulated family child care
Maximum number of children permitted: Four, includ
ing the provider’s own children under 13 years. If all are
under 24 months, maximum is three children.
Unregulated group programs
Programs for not more than six children for not more
than nine hours a week, or for an unspecified number of
children for not more than six hours a day for fewer than
eight weeks in a 12-week period, are not regulated.
REGULATED CHILD CARE
Child care centres
Centre-based care for more than six children under 13
years, between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Care
may be full- or part-day.
School-age child care centres
Centre-based care outside school hours for school-aged
children under 13 years.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Newfoundland and Labrador 5
mailto:[email protected]://www.gov.nl.ca/health/divisions/pgmpolicy/
Family child care
Care in the home of the provider for up to eight children
including the provider’s own children not attending
school on a full-time basis. Care for the seventh and
eighth child requires special permission from a regional
director of child care services. Not more than three chil
dren may be under 36 months; of these, no more than
two may be under 24 months. Care must be for fewer
than 24 consecutive hours.
Family child care homes may be approved by a licensed
family child care agency or may be individually licensed.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Newfoundland and Labrador does not have a written
policy regarding children with special needs.
One regulated centre works exclusively with approxi
mately 45 at-risk children and their families. The centre
receives core funding and parents, who pay no fees, are
not income tested.
The Inclusion Initiative provides human and financial
supports to licensees who require this to include children
with special needs in the regular programming of the
centre/home. The supports depend on the ability of the
licensee to meet the needs of the children.
Each Health and Community Services Region has a Child
Care Services Inclusion Consultant available to advise
and support licensees on how to include children with
special needs. The licensee and the Inclusion Consultant
work together to adapt the existing program and/or
materials as needed. The licensee also has access to fund
ing to employ a staff member in addition to the mini
mum staff-child ratio requirements if recommended by
the inclusion consultant. This additional person is
expected to meet all requirements for staff as contained
in the regulations. The licensee may also be funded to
have a vacant space to reduce the number of children in
the room. There may also be a child-specific support
employed by the licensee where the child requires such a
service to be included in the regular programming of the
centre/home.
Parents whose children require additional support to
attend typical child care programs may receive the
Special Child Welfare Allowance if they meet eligibility
requirements under a means test. The allowance is paid
directly to the parent who hires an individual to provide
support to the child in a child care setting. The setting
may include a child care centre, family child care home or
unregulated home. Parents who do not meet eligibility
requirements for the special welfare allowance must pay
for additional supports themselves.
Implementation of a new initiative in 2006 to improve
inclusive practices in child care has begun. Funding is
available for substitute staff to allow regular staff to
attend meetings related to a child with special needs.
Funding is also available for an additional staff position
if the special needs of a child require significant staff
time. The additional staff position must meet all the
training and other requirements for staff of child care
centres.
There are no special training requirements for staff
working with children with special needs. A training plan
is being developed to support and enhance inclusionary
practices in child care and equipment grants for materi
als that support inclusionary practices.
ABORIGINAL CHILD CARE
In January 1998, the first on-reserve child care centre was
licensed for the Miawpukek First Nation at Conne River,
the only reserve in Newfoundland and Labrador. It was
the choice of Conne River Health and Social Services to
apply for a provincial licence and comply with provincial
regulations. The centre is licensed for 16 children aged 2
12 years. A second centre (not licensed) was opened at
Conne River in 2001. There is also a centre in Hopedale
under First Nations/Inuit funding, and centres serving
largely Innu and Inuit communities in coastal Labrador
at Sheshatshui, Nain, Rigolet, Postville and Natuashish.
First Nations and Inuit child care centres that are licensed
receive the same funding as other centres in the province
and parents are eligible for subsidy.
Aboriginal Head Start funds projects in Hopedale,
Sheshatshiu, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
On December 1, 2005, Nunatsiavut was established pur
suant to the self-government provisions of the Labrador
Land Claims Agreement. The Nunatsiavut government’s
administrative home is in Nain, while the legislative cen
tre is in Hopedale. There are Nunatsiavut government
offices in Rigolet, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik, Happy
Valley-Goose Bay and St. John’s. The province continues
to license centres, which have the same rights and
responsibilities as other centres in the province.
Newfoundland and Labrador Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 6
SPACE STATISTICS (MARCH 2008)
Number of regulated child care spaces Centre-based
Age group Full-day Part-day Total
Infant (0-24 months) 54 - 54
Preschool
(24 months-school entry) 4,167 619 4,786
School-age - 735 735
Total centre-based spaces 4,221 1,354 5,575
Family child care spaces 397
Agency approved 320
Individually licensed 77
Total number of regulated child care spaces 5,972
Children with special needs in regulated child care Not available.
Statistics are not kept on total number of children with spe
cial needs attending typical child care facilities but approxi
mately 311 children with special needs received a fee subsidy.
There are also 50 children with special needs at Daybreak
Parent/Child Centre, which receives core funding.
Children receiving fee subsidies 2,078
Number of centres and homes (2008) Number of child care centres 172
Full day 122
Part-day nursery schools/preschools 28
Stand-alone after-school programs 22
Number of family child care agencies 2
Number of family child care providers 67
Sponsorship of regulated centre-based spaces Nonprofit 1,683
For-profit 3,892
Total 5,575
Sponsorship of full-time regulated centre-based spaces Nonprofit 686
For-profit 3,535
Sponsorship of part time and school age regulated centre-based spaces Part-time nonprofit 437
Part-time for-profit 182
School age nonprofit 560
School age for-profit 175
STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS
REGULATED CENTRES
Maximum centre size 60 spaces
Maximum staff:child ratios and group sizes Age of child Staff:child ratio Max. group size
0 to 24 months 1:3 6
25 to 36 months 1:5 10
37 to 69 months 1:8 16
57 to 84 months and attending school 1:12 24
85 to 144 months 1:15 30
Staff qualification requirements
Certification levels:
• Entry Level Child Care Services Certification requires
completion of an orientation course of 30-60 hours,
depending on the age group with which the staff will be
working.
• Level One Certification requires a minimum of a one-year
certificate in Early Childhood Education. Staff are certi
fied to work with particular age groups (see note below).
• Level Two Certification requires a minimum of a two-year
diploma in Early Childhood Education. Staff are certified
to work with particular age groups (see note below).
• Level Three Certification requires Level Two certifica
tion plus an ECE-specific or an ECE-related post-diplo
ma specialization.
• Level Four Certification requires an ECE-specific univer
sity degree or a university degree plus an ECE diploma.
Applicants from out of province are required to have
their course work and practicum requirements compared
to the Post-Secondary Program Standards and a determi
nation made as to equivalency.
Note: Prior to 1997, the focus of early childhood training was
on children aged 2-12. After that time, training included an
infant care component. Since certification was introduced,
individuals with ECE qualifications received before 1997 are
certified to work with children 2-12. Those wishing to be cer
tified to work with infants must complete a 50-hour self-
study program. Graduates of community college and some
private ECE training programs after 1997 are certified to
work with children 0-12. ECE graduates from private col
leges that choose not to include infant care in their course
content are required to complete the 50-hour self-study pro
gram if they wish to be certified to work with infants.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Newfoundland and Labrador 7
Centre operators must have Level Two certification in the
age groups for which the centre is licensed and two or
more years experience working with children in those age
groups, or its equivalent from another jurisdiction.
ECE instructors and program consultants are required to
have Level Four.
One staff person with each group of children is required
to have Level One certification for the age group in which
the staff is assigned and a minimum of one year’s experi
ence in that classification.
All other staff who are included in the staff/child ratio
must have Entry Level certification (30-60 hour orienta
tion course).
Note: There is no entry level certification for infant care; the
minimum qualification is Level One infant care.
A minimum of 30 hours of professional development
every three years is required to keep any certification level
valid.
The Department of Health and Community Services
contracts with the Association of Early Childhood
Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador to certify
staff and to deliver the orientation courses at no cost to
the individual.
A director may waive the educational or experience qual
ifications if satisfied that persons who meet the qualifica
tions cannot be reasonably obtained by the child care
service in the area in which the service is operated, and if
the licensee meets conditions set out in the Regulations.
The person is required to be actively upgrading to the
minimum level of the position.
Parent involvement
Parent involvement is not specified.
Licensing, monitoring and enforcement
Regional staff employed by the four Regional Integrated
Health Authorities (RIHAs) carry out monitoring and
enforcement of standards. Each of the four regions has a
Director of Child Care Services, one or more child care
services consultants, social workers, inclusion consult
ants and capacity consultants. The child care consultants
must have Level Four child care certification and three
years experience.
Centres are inspected at least once per year. Regional
child care services staff visit centres regularly (monthly
where possible) and are available upon request to provide
support, advice and direction.
Fire/life safety and health inspections are done annually
by officials of the provincial Government Service Centre,
Department of Government Services, Labour and Lands.
Minor infractions of the regulations result in a verbal
warning. More serious infractions result in a violation
order to the centre requesting immediate compliance. If
the infractions are not remedied within the designated
time, or if the infraction is considered to be sufficiently
serious, a conditional licence may be issued, the licence
may be suspended or may be cancelled.
REGULATED FAMILY CHILD CARE
Regulation
The RIHAs license nonprofit family child care agencies
that enter into contractual arrangements with providers
to provide child care in compliance with the regulations.
The RIHAs also license individual providers.
Maximum capacity
Care for up to six children including the provider’s own
children not attending school on a full-time basis. Not
more than three children may be under 36 months; of
these, no more than two may be under 24 months. Under
exceptional circumstances (and with director’s approval),
the provider may add two school-age children if she has
two children of her own who are younger than school age.
With director’s approval, a seventh child may be added for
a maximum of 1.5 hours per day, or for a maximum of 12
continuous hours once a week.
A provider may care for three children under 24 months
if there are no other children being cared for at the same
time.
Provider qualification requirements
Providers who work under the supervision of an agency
or who are individually licensed are required to have
Entry Level certification in family child care (30-60 hour
course). A minimum of 30 hours of professional devel
opment every three years is required to keep the certifi
cation valid.
Providers must be at least 18 years old, have Criminal and
Child Protection Records Checks and hold a valid first
aid certificate.
Newfoundland and Labrador Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 8
Licensing, monitoring and enforcement
In agency-based family child care, home visitors make
both announced and unannounced visits at least once a
month to monitor the home and provide support to the
provider. Home visitors also conduct annual inspection
visits at least once a year, at which time a written evalua
tion of the child care service and related requirements is
completed. In addition, annual fire/life safety and health
inspections are conducted by Government Services
Centre inspectors.
Home visitors are responsible for a maximum of 20
homes and are required to have at least Level Two certifi
cation in family child care and two years experience in a
family child care setting.
Agencies are inspected annually by staff of RIHAs.
Individually licensed homes are monitored and support
ed through monthly visits (where possible), and receive
annual inspections from staff of regional Health and
Community Services boards. In addition, annual fire/life
safety and health inspections are conducted by
Government Services Centre inspectors.
FUNDING
PUBLIC FUNDING FOR REGULATED CHILD CARE
One-time funding
Bursaries for those who graduated from a full-time rec
ognized ECE program in Newfoundland and Labrador in
2006 or later, and who are working in a child care centre
or regulated family child care immediately following
graduation, for a minimum of two years: $5,000.
Bursaries for on-campus field placements for ECEs and
regulated family child care providers who are upgrading
through distance delivery: $1,200/placement.
Recurring funding
Early Learning and Child Care Supplement
For staff with Level I certification $3,330/year
For staff with Level II-IV certification 6,660/year
Licensees and family child care providers
with Level I CCS certification 2,330/year
Licensees and family child care providers
with Levels II-IV CCS certification 4,660/year
CHILD CARE FEE SUBSIDY PROGRAM
Fee subsidies are paid directly to nonprofit and for-prof
it service providers on behalf of eligible parents.
Families on social assistance have been needs tested and
no other testing is done. Other families are income test
ed. Child development is considered in the eligibility cri
teria for subsidy whether or not the parent is in the paid
labour force or training.
Any licensed nonprofit or for-profit child care program is
eligible to enrol children receiving subsidies. There is no
minimum user fee but programs may surcharge subsi
dized parents above the maximum subsidy rates.
Application for Child Care Services subsidy may be done
in person or by mail.
Eligibility for fee subsidy (net income, 2008) Turning point Break-even point
1 parent
(one child in child care) $27,500 $37,000
2 parents
(one child in child care) 27,840 37,600
The turning point is the income level up to which full subsidy is
available. Partial subsidy is available up to the break-even
point, at which income subsidy ceases.
Maximum subsidy rates (centres and family child care) Full-day (8.5 hours/day)
0-24 months $35.00/day
2-12 years 24.00/day
Part-day (up to 4.5 hours)
0-24 months 18.50/day
2-12 years 12.75/day
School-age (up to 4.5 hours) 11.00/day
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Newfoundland and Labrador 9
PROVINCIAL ALLOCATIONS FOR REGULATED
CHILD CARE
Fee subsidies *$12,280,250
One time funding Family child care start-up grants
ECE Bursaries
Summer Institute Bursaries
$4,500
250,000
24,000
Recurring funding Equipment and inclusion grants
(centres and homes) $384,600
Supports to infant centres in high schools 84,000
Family child care agencies 253,765
ELCC supplement** 2,844,000
Quality enhancement 418,000
Inclusion initiative 1,586,000
Child Care Capacity Initiative 1,715,000
Total $19,844,115
*Includes funding to Daybreak Centre, a fully subsidized centre
for at-risk children.
** Supplements are paid directly to staff in child care centres
working directly with children and who have the requisite aca
demic qualifications for the age group in which they are work
ing. Two amounts apply — $3,330 a year for those with Level
One certification and $6,660 for those with at least Level Two
certification.
Other funding
Certification and training $120,000
Early Childhood Education Project*** 1,500,000
***Funding provided to the College of the North Atlantic to
put their full-time program training on-line.
Families on income support who need child care and for
whom a suitable regulated space is not available may
receive $325/month for the first child and $125/month
for each additional child. The money goes directly to the
parent and is the same amount regardless of the age of
the child. In 2003/04 $853,320 was spent for approxi
mately 350 children/month. More recent information is
not available.
Newfoundland and Labrador Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008
SALARIES
Median full-time, full-year employment income for centre-based Early Childhood Educators and Assistants (2005) All $15,884
Those with an ECE credential 18,608
Source: Custom tabulations, 2006 census data on National
Occupational Classification for Statistics E-217, Early
Childhood Educators and Assistants.
FEES (1998)
Median monthly parent fees for full-time centre-based care (2003/04)
Infants (age 0-17 months) $975 ($45/day)
Full-time 455 ($21/day)
Part-time 250 ($11.50/day)
School-age not available
Note: Monthly fees were calculated on the basis of 260 days per
year divided by 12. Source: Child Care Services Needs
Assessment (November 2003) More recent information is not
available.
Average daily fee in family child care Information not available.
ADMINISTRATION
The Department of Health and Community Services
establishes standards and allocates public funds to Health
and Community Services Regions to support families
and child care services. The four Regional Integrated
Health Authorities make decisions about opening cen
tres, issue and monitor licences and approve staff to work
in child care programs.
MUNICIPAL OR OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT ROLE
There is no municipal or other local government role in reg
ulated child care other than to provide municipal approval.
CHILD CARE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
There is no formal plan for the development of child care.
10
RELATED PROGRAMS
Family Resource Programs
In 2007/08, the province through the Department of
Health and Community Services via the Regional Health
Authorities provided core funding to 16 family resource
programs and enhancements to five programs through
the National Child Benefit (NCB) and the Early
Childhood Development Initiative (ECD). In 2007/08,
the NCB programs provided support to 2,370 families
(2,640 parents/caregivers and 2,960 children) from 160
communities; the ECD programs provided support to
2,000 families (2,770 parents/caregivers and 2,750 chil
dren) from 207 communities.
In addition, there are nine family resource programs
funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada through
the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)
and the Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP),
and three military family resource programs funded by
the Department of National Defence.
RECENT HISTORY OF CHILD CARE AND OTHER ECEC SERVICES
FOR HISTORY BEFORE 2000, SEE THE RELEVANT PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL SECTION OF ECEC IN CANADA 2006, available online at: http://www. childcarecanada.org/ECEC2006/ or in print.
2001 The first two family child care agencies were fund
ed as pilot projects.
One-time funding was provided for centre renovations in
order to meet the requirements of the new legislation and
for existing staff to meet the new training requirements.
Equipment grants were introduced and subsidy eligibili
ty levels were increased.
2001/02 Approximately $2 million of the $5.2 million in
Early Childhood Development Initiative funding was
allocated to child care. The allocation for regulated child
care in the first year was as follows:
• $1 million toward increased fee subsidies;
• $790,000 toward educational supplements for all cen
tre-based staff with a Level One or Two certification.
Quarterly payments were made directly by the govern-
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Newfoundland and Labrador 1
ment to individual staff. Staff with a Level One certifi
cation received $1,040/year in year one, increasing to
$2,080 by year three. Staff with Level Two certification
received $2,080/year, increasing to $4,160 by year three;
• $20,000 toward equipment grants for family child care.
2002/03 An evaluation of the Educational Supplement was
conducted. The final report, Evaluation of the Educational
Supplement: An Early Childhood Development Initiative,
prepared for the Department of Health and Social Services
by Atlantic Evaluation Research Consultants, was complet
ed in January 2003.
2003/04 A child care services needs assessment was con
ducted. The final report, Child Care Services Needs
Assessment Newfoundland and Labrador, was completed.
An evaluation of the child care services certification and
orientation course was conducted. The final report, Child
Care Services Certification and Orientation Course
Formative Evaluation, was completed in January 2004.
2005/06 Newfoundland and Labrador received $11.3
million through the Early Learning and Child Care
Agreement in 2005/06 and $10.3 million in 2006/07.
2006
June The Early Learning and Child Care plan was
announced, with funding allocated to the following ini
tiatives:
• An increase in the eligibility level for child care fee sub
sidies and subsidy rates;
• Income enhancement funding for low income ECEs
working in centres. Staff with Level Two certification earn
ing less than $25,000/year receive $2,000; those with Level
One certification receive $1,000. Staff earning between
$25,000-$35,000 are eligible for a smaller amount;
• Bursaries for eligible ECE students. Part of a recruit
ment/retention strategy, graduates receive $5,000 after
completion of an ECE program, if they agree to work in
the field for two years;
• Establishment of community-based child care in rural
and under-serviced areas of the province;
• Equipment grants of between $250 and $800/year for
centres and homes to purchase materials that support
children with special needs;
• Staffing support for centres and homes that require this
to enrol children with special needs. This includes
funds for additional staffing, grants for materials and
subsidies to enable staff to attend meetings;
• Human resources at the regional level to support these
services.
1
http://www
2006/07 Grants of up to $500 annually became available
for those working in child care and upgrading to Level
One Child Care Services Certification.
Support provided to College of the North Atlantic to
make ECE Diploma Program accessible online.
Start-up funding and, where necessary, ongoing funding
for the establishment of child care centres and regulated
family child care in rural and under-serviced areas of the
province.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN CHILD CARE AND OTHER ECEC SERVICES
2007/08 Summer Institute Bursaries: Staff of centres who
are upgrading by distance education are required to
attend institutes at College of the North Atlantic. A bur
sary of $1,200 for each institute is provided.
ELCC Supplement: The Income Enhancement and
Educational Supplement combined to form the Early
Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Supplement, and
increased by $250 for Level One and $500 for Level Two
annually.
KEY PROVINCIAL ECEC ORGANIZATIONS
Association of Early Childhood Educators of
Newfoundland and Labrador (AECNL)
33 Pippy Pl, Suite 102
St. John’s, NL A1B 3T1
Telephone: (709) 579-3028 or 1-877-579-3028
Facsimile: (709) 579-0217
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aecenl.ca
TEACHERS’ ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association
3 Kenmount Road
St. John’s, NL A1B 1W1
Telephone: (709) 726-3223 or 1-800-563-3599
Facsimile: (709) 726-4302 or 1-877-711-6582
Website: www.nlta.nf.ca
Newfoundland and Labrador Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 12
mailto:[email protected]
Prince Edward Island
PROVINCIAL CONTEXT
Number of children 0-12 years (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children
0 1,500
1 1,400
2 1,300
3 1,500
4 1,400
5 1,500
6 1,500
7 1,700
8 1,700
9 1,500
10 1,600
11 1,700
12 1,800
Total 19,900
Number of children 0-12 years, aggregated (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children
0-2 4,200
3-5 4,400
6-12 11,500
Total 19,900
Children 0-14 years identifying with an Aboriginal group (2006) Age North American Métis Inuit Multiple Other Total
Indian
0-4 150 60 15 0 0 235
5-9 165 40 10 0 0 205
10-14 120 30 0 0 0 160
Total 435 130 25 0 0 600
Children 0-14 yrs with disabilities (2006) Age Number of children Rate of children
with disabilities with disabilities (%)
0-4 190 2.9
5-9 320 4.0
10-14 470 5.0
Total 980 4.1
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Prince Edward Island 13
Number of children 0-12 years with mothers in the paid labour force (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children 0 900 1 1,000 2 900 3 1,100 4 900 5 1,200 6 1,100 7 1,300 8 1,200 9 1,000 10 1,200 11 1,300 12 1,200 Total 14,200
Number of children 0-12 years with mothers in the paid labour force, aggregated (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children 0-2 2,800 3-5 3,200 6-12 8,300 Total 14,200
Number of children by marital status of families (2006) Age Children in Children in lone (with lone (with lone
couple families parent families mothers) fathers) 0-4 5,515 1,075 990 90 5-9 6,245 1,725 1,465 260 10-14 7,285 2,015 1,720 295 Total 19,045 4,815 4,175 640
Number of children by mother tongue (2006) Age English French Non-official language 0-4 6,410 115 60 5-9 7,560 160 70 10-14 8,940 185 95 Total 22,910 460 225
Number and percentage of children living in families below the LICO (2006) Age Number Percent (%) 0-2 n/a n/a 3-5 n/a n/a 6-12 2,000 15.9 Total 3,000 13.9
Note: Sufficient data for all age breakdowns not available.
Workforce participation of mothers by age of youngest child (2007 rounded estimate) Age of youngest child Number of mothers Participation rate (%) 0-2 2,900 78.4 3-5 2,200 84.6 6-15 6,800 86.1
Prince Edward Island Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 14
FAMILY-RELATED LEAVE
Maternity leave
Seventeen weeks.
Parental leave
Thirty-five weeks. The total parental leave for both par
ents cannot exceed 35 weeks.
Adoption leave
Fifty-two weeks. The combined total leave for both par
ents cannot exceed 52 weeks.
Births and EI maternity and parental claims (2007)
Number of births: 1,420
Birth rate per 1,000 population: 10.3
Number of initial maternity claims allowed: 1,010
Average length of maternity claim: 14.6 weeks
Number of parental claims: 1,150
Average length of parental claim: 28.4 weeks
Number of adoptive parent claims: 20
Average length of adoptive claim: 10.0 weeks
Note: Maternity, parental and adoption leaves are deter
mined by provincial and territorial legislation. The federal
government pays for up to 15 weeks for maternity leave and
35 weeks for parental and adoptive leave for eligible parents
at 55% of earned income to a maximum of $447/week
(2009). See FEDERAL ECEC PROGRAMS for more information.
KINDERGARTEN
LEGISLATION
Kindergarten in PEI is part of the early childhood system.
The legislation governing kindergarten is the Child Care
Facilities Act, Regulations, and Guidelines R.S.P.E.I. 1988.
PROVINCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR KINDERGARTEN
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development.
The Department is responsible for licensing, teacher/staff
certification, supports for children with special needs,
policy development, funding, curriculum development,
program support and in-service training.
KINDERGARTEN CONTACT
Carolyn Simpson
Provincial Kindergarten Program Administrator
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development
3 Brighton Road, P.O. Box 2000
Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
Telephone: (902) 569-7526
Facsimile: (902) 368-4622
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.edu.pe.ca/
KINDERGARTEN SERVICES
KINDERGARTEN
School boards currently have no jurisdiction over
kindergartens, although there are programs located in
schools; the school simply provides the space.
Kindergarten programs must operate for a minimum of
three hours per day, five days per week or the equivalent,
and provide 2.5 hours of instructional time. Programs
may operate for between 9 and 10 months in a 12-month
period. Each kindergarten determines its own hours of
operation.
A three-hour day is available at no charge to the parent.
Parents whose children attend full-day in a child care
service either pay fees for the balance of the day or, if eli
gible, receive a child care subsidy.
Kindergarten programs are offered in 49 full-day child
care centres and in 36 part-day stand-alone programs.
Twenty-one of these centres are located in schools.
Programs in schools must be not-for-profit and have
either a parent or a community board. The schools offer
the space when a request has been made and space is
available. Kindergartens are also provided in for-profit
and nonprofit full-day child care centres and as part-day
stand alone programs.
Kindergarten is not compulsory and access is not legis
lated. Parents are responsible for transportation. School
boards will transport kindergarten age children on buses
if room is available.
While there are enough licensed spaces for every five year
old, parents may not be able to access their program of
first choice.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Prince Edward Island 15
mailto:[email protected]
AGE ELIGIBILITY
As of the 2008/09 academic year children must be 5 years
of age by October 31, and in 2009/10 must be 5 years of
age by December 31.
CLASS SIZE
There is no specified class size but child: teacher ratios
of 1:12 are legislated under the Child Care Facilities Act.
In 2007/08 the majority of classes ranged from 12 to 24
students.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
There is a philosophy of inclusion. Child-specific special
needs grants are available to centres for additional
staffing from the Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development. A school-aged child with spe
cial needs may attend a second year of kindergarten.
The number of kindergarten children with identified
special needs in 2007/08: 65.
ENROLMENT (2007/08)
Number of children enrolled in kindergarten (the year
before Grade 1): 1,215.
KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS
Qualification requirements: A two-year ECE diploma.
Minimum requirement for an ECE supervisor in a kinder
garten: ECE diploma plus two years of work experience.
Thirty hours of professional development every three years
is required for recertification for all kindergarten staff.
Responsibility for certification: The Child Care Facilities
Board.
Representation: Several programs are unionized and rep
resented by Union of Public Sector Employees.
Average wage in 2007/08: $14.23 per hour. The
Department requires all educators responsible for
kindergarten to be paid a minimum of $13 per hour
(including benefits).
CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS
Title: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs).
Qualifications: 30 hours of training, and 30 hours of pro
fessional development every three years.
Role: To lower ratios to allow for a more successful tran
sition and inclusion into the early childhood setting for
children with special needs.
Funding for SNAs is provided by the Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development.
CURRICULUM
The Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development has an integrated kindergarten curriculum
which includes Social Studies, Science, Health and
Physical Development, Creative Development as well as
Early Literacy Development and Early Numeracy
Development. This curriculum was implemented
provincially in September 2008.
MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
See LICENSING, MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT in child
care section.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development has assigned two resource people to the
Child Care Facilities Board. These individuals and two
others are also appointed as inspectors of child care
facilities.
SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR KINDERGARTEN
The Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development funds kindergartens directly; there is no
school board involvement. The Department also pro
vides funding to the Early Childhood Development
Association to provide support to kindergarten and early
childhood settings.
There are no fees for the kindergarten program; howev
er, programs may charge $25-$50/year for consumable
supplies.
Prince Edward Island Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 16
PUBLIC SPENDING ON KINDERGARTEN (2007/08)
Average spending per kindergarten child
Per capita spending on kindergarten: $2,768.
Total spending for kindergarten
$3,364,000 — excludes Special Needs Assistants, curricu
lum resources and program supports.
DEVELOPMENTS IN KINDERGARTEN 2000
September Prince Edward Island introduced publicly funded kindergarten; PEI was the last province to do so.
Plans are for kindergarten to move to the public school
system in 2010. A Kindergarten Commissioner has been
hired to review the kindergarten system and make rec
ommendations to the province.
2005
Fall The Task Force on Student Achievement report was
released. The report contained the following recommen
dations specific to kindergarten:
• put in place more rigorous requirements regarding pro
gram content, number of hours, and length of the
school year to ensure consistency and quality in the
kindergarten system;
• integrate francophone kindergartens into the public
school system and investigate whether this would be
advantageous for all kindergartens;
• develop an intervention program for children identi
fied as being at risk.
The province has acted on these recommendations. The
range that kindergarten programs may operate was
changed from 5-10 months to 9-10 months.
2006/07 Children had to be five years old by September
30 to enter kindergarten.
2007/08 Children had to be five years old by August 31 to
enter kindergarten.
2007/08 Government announced a seven percent
increase in kindergarten funding. Wages of ECEs work
ing in kindergartens were raised to at least $13 per hour.
The funding also included a new annual $500 grant for
each program to assist with administrative costs.
2008 An integrated provincial kindergarten curriculum
was developed and implemented.
2008/09 As of the 2008/09 academic year, children must
be 5 years of age by October 31 to enter kindergarten.
REGULATED CHILD CARE SERVICES
LEGISLATION
Prince Edward Island. Legislative Assembly. The Child
Care Facilities Act. 1988.
Prince Edward Island. Legislative Assembly. Child Care
Facilities Regulations. 1988.
Prince Edward Island. Legislative Assembly. The Social
Assistance Act. 2003
PROVINCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILD CARE
Sarah Henry
Healthy Child Development Coordinator
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2000
Location Address:
161 St. Peters Road
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 7N8
Telephone: (902) 894-0260
Facsimile: (902) 368-6136
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.gov.pe.ca/
Early Childhood contact:
Cathy McCormack
Early Childhood Programs Administrator
Telephone: (902) 368-6518
Email: [email protected]
CHILD CARE SERVICES
UNREGULATED CHILD CARE
Unregulated family child care
Maximum number of children permitted: Five, including
the caregiver’s own preschool-age children.
If all children are under two years, three are allowed, or
five preschoolers if not more than two of them are
younger than two years. Six are allowed in a mixed-age
group up to 10 years with no more than two younger
than two years.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Prince Edward Island 17
mailto:[email protected]://www.gov.pe.ca/mailto:[email protected]
REGULATED CHILD CARE
Early childhood centres
Group care for less than 24 hours/day for children from
birth to seven years including part-day kindergartens for
children aged five years and part-day nursery schools for
children aged 2-5 years.
School-age child care centres
Care outside school hours for school-age children (usu
ally 6-12 years).
Family day care homes
Full-day care in a private home for mixed-age groups up
to a maximum of seven children, including the provider’s
own preschool children, with a maximum of three chil
dren under two years.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
There are no segregated child care programs for children
with disabilities.
Centres may apply for a special needs grant on behalf of
a child. A grant of up to $11.50/hour is available, based
on the training and experience of the staff hired. Their
role is to lower ratios to allow for a more successful tran
sition and inclusion into the early childhood setting for
children with special needs. Some documentation is
required in order to receive the additional support, but it
is flexible and the social need of the child may be consid
ered. Special needs funding usually provides for addi
tional staff to lower the ratio of the group. The funding is
not capped and there is no waiting list for service. Parents
of children with special needs are not required to be
employed or in training to receive a subsidy.
Staff who work with children with special needs require
30 hours of professional development every three years.
ABORIGINAL CHILD CARE
Prince Edward Island does not fund or license child care
programs on-reserve. There are no First Nations/Inuit
Child Care Initiative programs in PEI. There are two unli
censed centres on-reserve, and an unlicensed kindergarten
program on Abegweit First Nation Lennox Island Reserve;
as well, Abegweit First Nation Scotchfort Reserve operates
an Aboriginal Head Start program. It serves 2-6 year olds,
operates from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is unregulated.
The Mi’kmaq Family Resource Centre operates an
Aboriginal Head Start program in Charlottetown. It
serves 3-6 year olds and is a regulated centre.
SPACE STATISTICS (MARCH 2008)
Number of regulated child care spaces Centre-based
Age group Full-day Part-day
Infants (0-24 months) 191 0
Preschool (2-4 years) 2,610 n/a
School-age (6-12 years) - 859
Kindergarten 729 486
Total centre-based spaces 3,530 *1,345
*A total of 1,215 children attend kindergarten, 486 who
attend part-time only and 729 who attend both kindergarten
and child care for the balance of the day.
Family child care 35
Total number of regulated spaces 4,910
Children with special needs in regulated child care 219
Children receiving subsidies **1,786
**Represents the monthly average over the year. The total
number of children receiving subsidy was 2,117.
Note: In ECEC in Canada 2006, the 2005/06 average num
ber of children receiving subsidies was reported as 849.
Provincial officials subsequently corrected that number to
1,750, with the total number of children served being 2,235.
Prince Edward Island Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 18
Number of centres and homes Number of child care centres 144
Full-day 80
Part-day nursery schools/preschools 2
Stand-alone after-school programs 26
Kindergarten centres 31
Number of individual family child care providers 5
Sponsorship of regulated centre-based spaces Nonprofit 2,061
For-profit 2,814
Total 4,875
Note: For the purpose of comparison with other jurisdictions
where kindergarten is in the public education system, the part-
day kindergarten spaces are excluded from the figures in the
BIG PICTURE and LONG VIEW Tables.
STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS
REGULATED CENTRES
Maximum centre size 50 spaces
Maximum staff:child ratios and group sizes Age Staff:child ratios Max. group sizes
0-2 yrs 1:3 6
2-3 yrs 1:5 not specified
3-5 yrs 1:10 not specified
5-6 yrs 1:12 not specified
7+ yrs 1:15 not specified
Staff qualification requirements in Type I centres*
Centre supervisors and one full-time staff member in
each program must have at least a one-year Early
Childhood Development diploma or university Child
Study degree.
Thirty hours of in-service training every three years is
required for all staff.
* Type I centres are Early Childhood Centres with the pri
mary objective being to provide an early childhood devel
opmental program emphasizing age-appropriate activities.
Staff qualification requirements in Type II centres**
The supervisor and one staff person of a Type II facility
must have successfully completed one unit of continuing
education (defined as one semester university/college
course), and must provide two personal references from
members of the community.***
Thirty hours of in-service training every three years is
required for all staff.
The Child Care Facilities Board only recognizes public
and private post-secondary institutions that have been
given the authority to grant academic credentials by their
provincial or territorial governments through charters or
legislation that ensures or enables mechanisms for insti
tutional and program quality.
** Type II centres are day care homes and school-age centres.
***Where the board is satisfied that an applicant for licens
ing of a Type I centre has made every reasonable effort to
engage a qualified supervisor/program staff as required and
has been unable to do so, the board may authorize the
engagement of an unqualified supervisor/program staff,
provided that the unqualified supervisor/program staff
commences, within six months of the date of employment,
to acquire the necessary qualifications and must attain the
appropriate qualification within 3 years of the date of
employment. In Type II centres the appropriate qualifica
tions must be acquired within one year.
Parent involvement
Not specified.
Licensing, monitoring and enforcement
Centres are visited for licensing purposes by staff of the
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development, who observe the administration and pro
gramming of the centre. Annual inspections are required
by the Fire Marshall’s office and the Environmental
Health Division of the Department of Health.
If a centre is not in compliance with the legislation it may
operate under a regular licence but is given a specific time
frame in which to comply. A centre may have a provi
sional licence for a period of six months, or it may have
its licence revoked or not renewed. A centre receiving a
provisional licence or having its licence revoked or not
renewed may appeal directly to the Minister who then
must establish an Appeal Board. This Board must con
duct an inquiry and render a decision within 30 days.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Prince Edward Island 19
REGULATED FAMILY CHILD CARE
Regulation
Providers are individually licensed.
Maximum capacity
Up to seven children including the provider’s own chil
dren under school-age, with a maximum of three chil
dren under two years.
Provider qualification requirements
Providers must be at least 18 years of age, have complet
ed a 30-hour training program, have two letters of refer
ence and a current first-aid certificate.
Providers are not required to have a criminal records
check; however, the Early Childhood Development
Association (ECDA) has developed a process for criminal
record checks and encourages all owners/operators to
make sure their staff have them.
Licensing, monitoring and enforcement
Annual inspections are made by staff of the Department
of Education and Early Childhood Development, who
observe the administration and programming of the cen
tre; by an inspector for the Fire Marshall’s office; and by
an Environmental Health Officer.
FUNDING
CHILD CARE FEE SUBSIDY PROGRAM
Fee subsidies are paid directly to service providers on
behalf of eligible parents. Eligibility is determined by an
income test and by the following social criteria: parent(s)
working or studying, parental medical emergency, child in
need of protection, children with special needs, children of
immigrant families who are registered for English/French
second language programs and school readiness. Eligibility
assessments are conducted in person at local offices of the
Department of Social Services and Seniors.
The provincial fee subsidy budget is not capped and in
2007/08 there was no waiting list for subsidy.
Any regulated nonprofit or private child care program is
eligible to enrol children receiving subsidies.
There is no minimum user fee. Centres and family day
care homes may surcharge subsidized parents higher
than the maximum subsidy. Approximately half the cen
tres charge fees higher than the maximum subsidy but
not all require subsidized parents to pay this difference.
Parents in receipt of social assistance have access to the
Child Care Subsidy Program.
Eligibility for fee subsidy (net income 2007/08) Turning point Break-even point
1 parent, 1 child $15,400 $27,400
2 parents, 2 children 21,200 53,040
The turning point is the income level up to which full subsidy is
available. Partial subsidy is available up to the break-even
point, at which income subsidy ceases.
Maximum subsidy by age of child (2007/08) 0-2 yrs $30/day
2-3 yrs 23/day
3+ yrs 22/day
School-age 18/day
PUBLIC FUNDING FOR REGULATED
CHILD CARE (2007/08)
All licensed child care centres are eligible for all funding
programs.
One-time funding None
In 2007/08 a one-time resource grant from the operating
fund was provided to early childhood centres in the fol
lowing amounts:
For centres with a capacity of 25-50 $2,600
For centres with a capacity of 34 and fewer 1,300
For school age and nursery schools 650
For family child care programs 500
Recurring funding Operating grants
Full-day centre-based programs $1.10/day/space
Part-time centre-based programs
12 children or fewer 750/year
24 children or fewer 1,201/year
50 children or fewer 2,002/year
* Funding is calculated according to months of operation and is
less than stated above if the program operates less than 12
months a year.
Note: Since February 2007, all licensed child care facilities that
are open for a minimum of six consecutive months receive oper
ating grants.
Prince Edward Island Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 20
Infant incentive funding
$500/space/year. An annual grant is provided to centres
and family day care programs enrolling at least one child
younger than two years on a regular basis for at least six
months.
Special needs funding
Available to centre-based and family day care programs
to pay staff to provide individualized programming for
children with special needs. The funding will cover wages
and benefits up to $11.50/hour based on training and
experience.
Family day care homes $495/year See RECENT DEVELOPMENTS for increases in operating
grants effective April 1, 2008.
PROVINCIAL ALLOCATIONS FOR REGULATED
CHILD CARE (2007/08)
Child care fee subsidies $3,500,000
One-time funding None
Recurring funding Special needs funding $1,315,000
Operating grants 1,210,000
Total* $6,226,767
Note: $201,767 of the 2007/08 operating funding was allo
cated to a one-time resource grant to centres and homes.
Other funding Funding to the Early Childhood Development
Association for the Bridges Project $80,000
Partnerships for Children 110,000
Research and Evaluation (including EDI) 50,000
Funding from other departments Kindergarten funding to early
childhood centres $3,364,000
* For the purpose of comparison with other jurisdictions where
kindergarten is in the public education system, kindergarten
funding has been separated from spending on regulated child
care. The allocation for kindergarten is $3.2 million; the
amount above is actual spending.
The provincial social assistance budget has $50,000 for unreg
ulated care for infants, or for extended-hour care when regulat
ed care is unavailable, or for occasional “babysitting” costs.
SALARIES
Mean gross hourly wage for centre-based child care staff (full-and part-time staff combined - 2007/08)
Median hourly Median range
(within which
80% fall)
Uncertified $9.50 $7.50 - $15.00
Certified ECEs 11.85 8.50 - 21.00
Certified ECEs in kindergarten 14.00 n/a
Special needs staff 9.00 n/a
Source: Early Childhood Services, Direct Funding Program
April 2008. Based on wage information on 118 certified ECE’s
and 153 uncertified staff.
Median full-time, full-year employment income for centre-based Early Childhood Educators and Assistants (2005) All $19,616
Those with an ECE credential 21,970
Source: Custom tabulations, 2006 census data on National
Occupational Classification for Statistics E-217, Early
Childhood Educators and Assistants.
Family child care Information not available.
FEES
Median monthly parent fees for centre-based full-time care (2007/08) Infants $685 ($32/day)
Toddlers 599 ($28/day)
Preschool 556 ($26/day)
School-age Information not available
Source: Information provided by provincial officials from centre
subsidy forms.
Average daily fee in family child care Information not available.
ADMINISTRATION
The Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development is responsible for the regulation of child
care services and management of government funds allo
cated to child care.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Prince Edward Island 21
RECENT HISTORY OF CHILD CARE AND OTHER ECEC SERVICES
The Child Care Facilities Board is responsible for stan
dards and regulations, monitoring, qualifications and
certification of child care staff. The Board includes six
members who represent the Health and Community
Services agencies, Education Agency, the Early Child
hood Development Association and the public at large,
and a Chair who is a public official.
The local offices of the Department of Social Services
and Seniors are responsible for assessing eligibility for
subsidy.
MUNICIPAL ROLE
There is no legislated municipal role for the development
or delivery of child care.
CHILD CARE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Five principles guide the planning of child care: quality,
affordability, accessibility, providing for children with
special needs, and parent involvement.
Application to the Child Care Facilities Board for a
licence must include a needs assessment that documents
the need for child care in a particular area.
FOR HISTORY BEFORE 2000, SEE THE RELEVANT PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL SECTION OF ECEC IN CANADA 2006, available online at: http://www. childcarecanada.org/ECEC2006/ or in print.
2000 Publicly funded, community delivered kinder
garten was introduced.
November The government released For our children: A
strategy for healthy child development and announced the
establishment of the Premier’s Council on Healthy Child
Development to advise the premier on issues affecting
young children in PEI. The Departments of Health and
Social Services, Education, Development and Technology,
the Office of the Attorney General, and Community and
Cultural Affairs as well as community groups worked in
partnership to implement the strategy. The Council mon
itored the implementation of the province’s Healthy
Child Development Strategy with a focus on child out
comes in the four goal areas identified by the Strategy:
good health, safety and security, success at learning, and
social engagement and responsibility. The Healthy Child
Development Strategy is the responsibility of the five
deputy ministers of the departments listed above.
2001 The Review and analysis of the Prince Edward Island
ECE industry was undertaken, based on You Bet I Care!
and funded through a Labour Market Development
Agreement with Human Resources Development
Canada.
The $1.3 million Early Childhood Development Initiative
funding was allocated as follows:
• early intervention for children with autism: $700,000;
• kindergarten: $500,000;
• support to the Premier’s Council for the Healthy Child
Development Strategy: $100,000.
A new Aboriginal two year ECE diploma program began
development at Holland College.
2001/02 Funding was provided to the Early Childhood
Development Association for a pilot project aimed at
improving quality. The focus was children with special
needs, based on the Keeping the Door Open model.
Funds were provided for two staff to work with 200 child
care staff in 29 centres. The goal was to expand the pro
gram to include all centres.
2003/04 An accelerated ECEC program was introduced
at Holland College under a Labour Market Development
Agreement (LMDA) with Human Resources Develop
ment Canada. To be eligible for the training, students
must have at least three years experience in a child care
centre, meet the Holland College entrance requirements
and be a member of the Early Childhood Development
Association. The program is a mix of classroom time and
on the job training, which takes place in the centres in
which the students are employed.
Partnerships for Children funding initiative was imple
mented to help develop and strengthen Children’s
Working Group networks. Activities included ECDA-
developed salary scales and job descriptions, a public
education campaign for parents on the work done by
staff without qualifications, and a number of fact sheets.
2004
June The first students graduated from the Holland
College Aboriginal ECE diploma program.
Prince Edward Island Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 22
http://www
2005
July The Measuring and Improving Kids’ Environments
(MIKE) program was introduced in an effort to improve
quality; this was a partnership between PEI Department
of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Early Childhood
Development Association (ECDA) of PEI and licensed
full-day early childhood centres across PEI. The on-site
consultation model from Keeping the Door Open was
used to inform and guide the work in the first 10-month
cycle of the pilot (see 2001/02). The model uses external
program consultants with training in early childhood
education, experience in licensed centres and in the
(ECERS-R), the Canadian Supplementary Scale (CSS),
SpeciaLink Child Care Inclusion Principles Scale
(SCCIPS) and the Practices Profile. The program was
funded by the DHSS as a component of the PEI Healthy
Child Development Strategy.
September An Early Childhood Education and Care
Committee was struck to make recommendations to the
Healthy Child Development Deputy Ministers on future
directions for ECEC programs and services. Recom
mendations were framed within the principles of the
Multilateral Framework Agreement on Early Learning
and Child Care.
Fall Forty-nine early childhood centres (more than 50%
of the full-day centres) received certification from the
Union of Public Service Employees (UPSE). Contract
discussions began.
Summer An Accelerated Francophone Early Childhood
Education Diploma was offered to educators working
within licensed francophone child care centres by La
Société éducative de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard, in collabo
ration with Cégep de St-Félicien. Eleven students began
the program in the summer of 2005 and graduated in the
summer of 2007.
November The Early Childhood Education and Care
Committee developed a Criminal Record Check Manual
to be used by PEI early childhood centres. The Early
Childhood Development Association provided the cen
tres with training in its use.
November/December Prince Edward Island received $3
million through the Early Learning and Child Care
Agreement in 2005/06 and $2.8 million in 2006/07.
In 2005/06 the fund was used to provide a one-time wage
enhancement of $3,000 per certified staff working in
licensed early childhood centres; a $10,000 resource and
administration grant per preschool centre, and a “parent
share holiday” that provided parents receiving partial
subsidy with three months relief from their parental por
tion of the fees beyond any minimum required.
Child care subsidy rates were raised to $30/day for infants,
$23/day for 2-year olds and $22/day for 3-5 year olds.
The annual infant grant was increased from $250 per
centre that has infant spaces to $500 per infant space.
2006
Summer The Bridges Project was announced. The
Departments of Education, Social Services and Seniors
and the Early Childhood Development Association col
laborated to offer seamless support in the areas of cur
riculum development, program delivery and parental
engagement. The Bridges Project combined the work of
the kindergarten mentors and the MIKE consultants
under a new Early Childhood Resource Team. Other pro
fessionals, such as speech and language pathologists and
occupational therapists, were included on this team as
required.
Collectively the team:
• supports early learning and child care program super
visors/administrators/owners with learning environ
ments, training and mentoring;
• encourages quality of early learning programs;
• helps enhance the level of integration of children with
special needs;
• encourages a community of learning within the early
childhood sector.
November Contract negotiations were underway with
UPSE and the majority of full-day licensed early child
hood centres.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Prince Edward Island 23
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN CHILD CARE AND OTHER ECEC SERVICES
2007: February Government announced a multi-year
strategic investment in early learning in four key areas:
• Access and Affordability for child care programs —
increase in subsidy eligibility levels
• Quality Licensed Child Care and Early Learning
Environments — intended to improve stability, by pro
viding predictable, on-going funding.
• Early Years Information Campaign — on the impor
tance of the early years
• Research and Evaluation — to collect and report data
to measure how well our children are doing in areas of
development and learning.
The province allocated $4.2 million in funding held in
trust as part of the Early Learning and Child Care
Agreements of 2005 to support these investments.
2007
April The subsidy eligibility levels were increased as follows:
Previous annual Annual net net income thresholds income thresholds
effective April 1, 2007
1 parent, 1 child $13,400 - $25,440 $15,400 - $27,440
2 parents,
2 children 19,200 - 51,040 21,200 - 53,040
April Early Childhood Services, the unit responsible for
licensing and monitoring of child care centres, was moved
from the Department of Social Services and Seniors to the
newly named Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development (formerly Department of
Education).
The Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development announced that the kindergarten program
would be moving to the school system from the child
care system. A kindergarten commissioner was appoint
ed to assess the kindergarten situation, develop recom
mendations as to how the Department can best facilitate
this change, and assess the educational requirements for
kindergarten teachers. The report to the premier is due in
June 2009.
The TAKE 30 for the Family social marketing program
was launched by the Government of PEI. This program is
designed to provide parents with information, activity
ideas and tools to promote positive parenting and healthy
brain development during a child’s critical early years.
The TAKE 30 for the Family is also working with the busi
ness community to encourage businesses to develop or
continue to maintain a flexible workplace that supports
employees to balance work and life/family commitments.
The operating grants were increased as follows:
Operating grants
Full-day centre-based programs $1.20/day/space
Part-time centre-based programs
12 children or fewer 825.83/year
24 children or fewer 1,321.32/year
50 children or fewer 2,200.20/year
Family child care $544.50/year
June The Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development announced that the age of entry for kinder
garten and Grade 1 will be gradually changed to December
31 by the fall of 2010. 2008: age 5 by October 31; 2009: age
5 by November 31; 2010: age 5 by December 31.
Le Collège Acadie Î-P-É was recognized as a publicly-
funded post-secondary institution, giving the college sta
tus to grant diplomas.
KEY PROVINCIAL ECEC ORGANIZATIONS
Early Childhood Development Association of Prince
Edward Island
40 Enman Crescent, Suite 147
PO Box 23055
Charlottetown, PE C1E 1Z6
Telephone (902) 368-1866 or Toll-Free 1-866-368-1866
Facsimile (902) 569-7900
Website: www.ecda.pe.ca
Early Learning Operators of Prince Edward Island
c/o Campus Kids Child Care Centre
550 University Avenue
Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3
Telephone: (902) 566-0344
Prince Edward Island Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 24
Nova Scotia
PROVINCIAL CONTEXT
Number of children 0-12 years (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children
0 8,600
1 8,000
2 8,400
3 8,400
4 7,800
5 8,200
6 9,400
7 9,000
8 9,100
9 10,500
10 11,000
11 10,500
12 9,900
Total 118,700
Number of children 0-12 years, aggregated (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children
0-2 25,000
3-5 24,400
6-12 69,400
Total 118,700
Children 0-14 years identifying with an Aboriginal group (2006) Age North American Métis Inuit Multiple Other Total
Indian
0-4 1,355 360 0 0 35 1,750
5-9 1,520 495 15 0 45 2,075
10-14 1,825 580 35 0 35 2,475
Total 4,700 1,435 50 0 105 6,300
Children 0-14 yrs with disabilities (2006) Age Number of children Rate of children
with disabilities with disabilities (%)
0-4 770 1.9
5-9 2,430 5.2
10-14 3,330 6.0
Total 6,530 4.5
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Nova Scotia 25
Number of children 0-12 years with mothers in the paid labour force (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children 0 5,200 1 4,800 2 5,100 3 4,700 4 5,100 5 5,200 6 5,700 7 5,800 8 6,300 9 7,100 10 7,300 11 7,500 12 6,900 Total 76,700
Number of children 0-12 years with mothers in the paid labour force, aggregated (2007 rounded estimate) Age Number of children 0-2 15,100 3-5 15,000 6-12 46,600 Total 76,700
Number of children by marital status of families (2006) Age Children in Children in lone (with lone (with lone
couple families parent families mothers) fathers) 0-4 32,880 8,860 7,810 1,045 5-9 36,420 11,380 9,855 1,530 10-14 42,190 13,545 11,640 1,910 Total 111,490 33,795 29,305 4,490
Number of children by mother tongue (2006) Age English French Non-official language 0-4 39,510 630 1,210 5-9 45,490 765 1,060 10-14 53,055 975 1,320 Total 138,055 2,370 3,590
Number and percentage of children living in families below the LICO (2006) Age Number Percent (%) 0-2 n/a n/a 3-5 n/a n/a 6-12 10,000 14.0 Total 16,000 13.2
Note: Sufficient data for all age breakdowns not available.
Workforce participation of mothers by age of youngest child (2007 rounded estimate) Age of youngest child Number of mothers Participation rate (%) 0-2 15,100 70.9 3-5 11,200 77.8 6-15 43,300 82.8
Nova Scotia Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada • 2008 26
FAMILY-RELATED LEAVE
Maternity leave
Seventeen weeks.
Parental leave
Both parents are entitled to 52 weeks which must be taken
within 12 months of the child’s birth. Thirty-five weeks for
birth mothers who have taken pregnancy/maternity leave.
Adoption leave
Fifty-two weeks.
Births and EI maternity and parental claims (2007)
Number of births: 8,372
Birth rate per 1,000 population: 9.0
Number of initial maternity claims allowed: 5,530
Average length of maternity claim: 14.3 weeks
Number of parental claims: 6,230
Average length of parental claim: 26.9 weeks
Number of adoptive parent claims: 80
Average length of adoptive claim: 27.5 weeks
Note: Maternity, parental and adoption leaves are deter
mined by provincial and territorial legislation. The federal
government pays for up to 15 weeks for maternity leave and
35 weeks for parental and adoptive leave for eligible parents
at 55% of earned income to a maximum of $447/week
(2009). See FEDERAL ECEC PROGRAMS for more information.
KINDERGARTEN (GRADE PRIMARY)
LEGISLATION
Nova Scotia. Legislative Assembly. Education Act and
Regulation. 1995-96. Amended 1998, 2000, 2002.
Nova Scotia. Legislative Assembly. Pre-primary Education
Act. Chapter 44 of the Acts of 2005. Proclaimed March
24, 2006.
PROVINCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR KINDERGARTEN
Primary contact
Nancy Taylor
Early Learning Coordinator
English Program Services
NS Department of Education
Telephone: 902-424-4908
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ednet.ns.ca/
GRADE PRIMARY PROGRAM
Grade Primary (kindergarten) is delivered in both public
and private schools. It is available to all eligible children
in Nova Scotia on a full-time basis (a minimum of four
hours/day are required for Grade Primary to Grade 2).
Grade Primary is an entitlement and is compulsory in
Nova Scotia.
AGE ELIGIBILITY
Five years old on or before December 31.
CLASS SIZE
Class size limit of 25 students in Grade Primary to Grade 2.
Class size limit of 20 students in combined Grade Primary/
Grade 1 classrooms.
Average/mean class size (2005/06): 22.4. Information
specific to Grade Primary is not available.
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
In Nova Scotia, programming and services for students
with special needs are ensured under the Education Act
and Regulation (1996, updated 2008). Students for
whom the learning outcomes of the prescribed provin
cial curriculum do not apply, enter the program planning
process and an individualized program plan (IPP) is cre
ated. The program planning team includes school staff,
the student’s family and, when applicable, the student. All
programming supports (assistive technology, teacher
assistants, transition support) and other specialized pro
gramming considerations or services are identified dur
ing the program planning process.
In 2007, a provincial average of 4.7% of students from
grades Primary to 12 had IPPs.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit Nova Scotia 27
mailto:[email protected]://www.ednet.ns.ca/
ENROLMENT (2007/08)
There were 503 classes of Grade Primary. This includes
multi-grade classes.
Number of children enrolled in Grade Primary (one
year before Grade 1)
Public 8,394
Private 273
Total 8,667
Number of children enrolled in 4 Plus Program in
Halifax (two years before Grade 1)
(See SPECIAL FEATURES) 110
Number of children enrolled in Pre-Primary Program
(see RECENT DEVELOPMENTS) 416
KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS Qualification